On Persecution…

We hear you out there in the back row of the Internet. You are tired of hearing about “persecution” as a message, get on with the cool stuff like analysis of biblical prophesy. We would like to, but we are not able to do that.

The fact is, Jesus actually told us this was going to happen. So, in a way, Back Row, you get what you want. What? Jesus talked about the coming persecution? Oh yes.

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
John 15:20, NASB

He said it would happen, and there it is in the pages of Scripture. It is not the only place it occurs, either, but I’ll let you all study that topic yourself. I am a big proponent of doing your own work, as members of BereanNation.com already know. What Jesus didn’t say is just HOW it would happen. And beloved, technology makes this persecution FAR easier than it ever has been before. Case in point, I was banned from Facebook for at least 30 days for no reason other than they didn’t think I was a real person. I do not even know if these posts are making it into the group they are automatically set to post into, for the record. What I DO know is that they wanted my actual driver’s license to be photographed and inspected by them. Knowing that I have a great God that cannot be thwarted by pissant companies like Facebook and Twitter, I had no problem giving them my ID. I literally cannot make God’s job harder than it already must be, so I am going to comply with their silly demand. (Already have.)

What I find interesting is that my US compatriots that do the same thing we do didn’t receive so much as a peep from Leviathan. They were unaffected, except for Protestia, which they don’t like since we run counter to their narrative. Goodness, I wonder why THAT could be? Then I read this startling and troubling article. Folks, this is happening to followers of Jesus all over the planet. About a year ago, I read a headline about how the Chinese government decided to demolish an old church–while the people we actually inside it and still worshipping. No one had informed them, apparently. Fortunately, no one was injured. However, no one at the municipal level (where the decision was made) was ever held accountable.

That article I referenced earlier? A brother is banned from using the AirBnB app because he posted his beliefs to Facebook. Or Twitter. Or YouTube. I’m not sure it actually matters. Restriction of speech is where persecution starts, and then it moves to restriction of rights and freedoms. After that, restriction of movement, and then flat-out persecution that leads to imprisonment and death. Does that sound just a bit like the tyranny of the COVID? Yeah, it does to me also.

It is a good thing our King is watching. Let us give him, as did Stephen, reason to rise when they come for us. After all, my ears long to hear that great approval of the King: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”